Transportation News & Views

Update: Pomona (60) Freeway Reopening

UPDATE: (Monday, Dec. 19) For information: Caltrans District 7 website or the District 7 blog. The latest traffic information can be obtained on the Caltrans website: http://www.dot.ca.gov/ by accessing the Quickmaps feature.

UPDATE (issued Saturday, Dec, 17, by Caltrans at 1 p.m.) — The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) opened the westbound Pomona Freeway (SR-60) at approximately 11:15 a.m. Construction crews are repairing fire damaged sections of roadway on eastbound SR-60. It is expected that eastbound lanes will open to traffic on Saturday, December 17 by 5 p.m.

Caltrans has issued a detour map to help the community navigate around the closure of SR-60 this weekend. The map points to routes to the hospital, the alternate route to Paramount Boulevard, and ways for shoppers to access Montebello Town Center. Click on image to view map at full size.

Sunday is now the estimated re-opening time for the Pomona (60) Freeway. See previous post for transit options. Here is the news release issued by Caltrans this morning.

Update on SR-60 Reopening and Bridge Demolition

Montebello — The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is
working to re-open both directions of the Pomona Freeway (SR-60) to traffic
by Sunday evening, December 19. Closures are subject to change.

Eastbound and westbound SR-60 has been closed since Wednesday afternoon
between the Long Beach Freeway (I-710) and the San Gabriel Freeway (I-605) after a tanker truck caught fire on eastbound SR-60 under the Paramount Boulevard bridge. There were no serious injuries.

The westbound SR-60 closure has been shortened from I-605 to Rosemead
Boulevard. The freeway connector transition from northbound and southbound I-710 to eastbound SR-60 remains closed.

A utility bridge (steel beam) to support the communication lines was put in
place last night. The bridge above eastbound SR-60 has been completely
demolished. Removal of the dirt pad below and clean up is underway so that
crews can assess the pavement below the bridge. Any sections of pavement
that are badly damaged will be replaced. Work is still ongoing to remove
the sidewalk on the bridge to expose the communication lines that need to
be placed onto the utility bridge in advance of demolition of the westbound
bridge.

Demolition of the bridge over westbound SR-60 could begin late Sunday
evening. The demolition of the bridge will occur from Sunday evening to
Tuesday evening between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Up to two lanes of the eastbound SR-60 will be closed and the westbound SR-60 will be entirely closed near the area.

Caltrans, with its emergency contractor Flatiron Construction, is working
around the clock to complete the repairs that will allow the freeway to
reopen. The Department is cognizant of the impacts this closure is having
on the local communities and is doing everything possible to shorten their
inconvenience. In the meantime, Caltrans is taking advantage of the
closure to perform various maintenance activities (repair damaged sections
of pavement, restripe lanes, replace signs, etc.) on the freeway.

Motorists are advised to plan ahead, be patient, and use alternate routes
or public transportation, if possible. Signed detours are in place. The
latest freeway traffic information can be obtained on the Caltrans website: https://www.dot.ca.gov by accessing the Quickmaps feature.